Before leaving Linz for Budapest, we had to get a bite to eat. What better place is there than a Jindrak Konditorei? There appear to be satellite pastry shops of this company all over the city, including very close to our hotel.

Inside – Jindrak Konditorei – Near Hotel – Linz, Austria

Breakfast – Jindrak Konditorei – Near Hotel – Linz, Austria

Apple Strudel – Jindrak Konditorei – Near Hotel – Linz, Austria

Shortly afterwards, we were on the road for a four hour drive into Hungary. In about two hours we left Austria for Hungary and the Budapest signs started appearing quite regularly.

Budapest

Entering any city, anywhere at rush hour, is normally not a good idea, but we hardly had a choice. In any event, it went rather smoothly considering the bridges from Buda into Pest and all of the one-way streets. Soon we were at our destination, the Mystery Hotel.

Entrance – Mystery Hotel – Budapest, Hungary

The Hungarian people are extremely nice and most speak very good English. So, there shouldn’t be any issues in the immediate area.

Plaza in front of church – Saint Stephens Basilica – Budapest, Hungary

Typical dining street – Budapest, Hungary

Not far from our hotel is Liberty Square; this is where the American Embassy is located. Here you will find monuments, statues and buildings of interest.

Looking toward parliament – Budapest, Hungary

Wing of Exchange Palace – Budapest, Hungary

At the entrance of this square is also an eternal flame memorial.

Lajos Batthyányi Eternal Flame – Liberty Square – Budapest, Hungary

Saint Stephen’s Basilica

Not far from our hotel is the Basilica of Saint Stephen. Though we did not enter it, if only from church exhaustion, the outside is rather impressive and very nice to see, especially in the evening.

At night – Saint Stephens Basilica – Budapest, Hungary

Hotels

There are many hotels to choose from in Budapest. We chose one that would be close to things, but not to far out from the center that you could not get to it by a tram or metro, as well as reasonably priced parking. The Mystery Hotel fits that bill nicely and is decently priced such that it should not break your bank.

Mystery Hotel

For people interested in driving or taking the train, the Mystery Hotel offers a great five star option close to the main railroad station with valet parking. It is also a few blocks away from the oldest Metro line in the city, the M1.

Breakfast room – Mystery Hotel – Budapest, Hungary

Since the hotel occupies an old renovated building not initially intended for occupation, the rooms are interestingly configured inside. Some even have lofts, so stay flexible, since they are well maintained and well appointed.

Our room – Mystery Hotel – Budapest, Hungary

Bathroom – Mystery Hotel – Budapest, Hungary

Restaurants

As the capitol of Hungary and at a very busy intersection of Europe, Budapest has a huge selection of all kinds of different cuisines, especially Hungarian.

Retek Bisztro

Rather pricey and on the high-end of restaurants is the Retek Bisztro. It is located not far from the basilica and in downtown Budapest. It is a very busy place, so make reservations before you leave on your trip, since it fills up fast.

Front Room and bar – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

The restaurants offers most authentic Hungarian cuisine, from Hungarian Goulash to Hungarian meatballs. You will notice that most of my photographs came out a bit orange, since there was a red lamp very near our table.

Patti and Ericka – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

hors d’oeuvres – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Hungarian Goulash soup – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Duck leg with noodle and sauerkraut – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Salmon – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Hungarian deep fried meatballs with mashed potatoes – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Poppy-seed cake – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Sunday – Retek Bisztro – Budapest, Hungary

Along with a bottle of wine, the entire bill for four people and drinks came to 220€.